Closure for lunch box

ABSTRACT

A pair of fasteners for a lunch box, said fasteners being spring pressed in the closed position, each unit formed of an elongate rod, a top portion housed slidably horizontally in a sleeve at the front lower portion of the lunch box cover, an intermediate integral portion of said rod bent vertically downwardly, and a return bent portion integral with said latter portion adapted to latch within an axially horizontal keeper on the top frontal portion of the lunch box body, and coil spring means connecting the upper elongate rod portions to maintain the closure in latched position.

United States Patent Gertrude E. Mace 825 South 10th St., Milwaukee, Wis. 53204 5 l ,7 63

July 2, 1970 Dec. 14, 1971 [72] Inventor [21 Appl. No. [22] Filed [45] Patented [54] CLOSURE FOR LUNCH BOX 1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figs.

52 U.S.Cl 292/31,

200 4, 220/55 K, 292/128 511 lnt.Cl ..E05c19/10 so FieldoiSearch 292/8,

24-31, 33, 42,128, DIG. l4, DIG. 29, DIG. 34, DIG. 42, DIG. 48, DIG. 50, DIG. 51, DIG. 61, 175; 220/55 K, 55 L, 55 MC, 55 R; 206/4 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,488,492 4/1924 Gray 3,291,515 12/1966 Lierman... 220/55.7 X 1,271,230 7/1918 Sabo 292/42 1,315,568 9/1919 Neidhemmer" 292/283 2,784,992 3/1957 Karjala 292/162 Primary Examiner-Robert L. Wolfe Attorney-Gerald P. Welch ABSTRACT: A pair of fasteners for a lunch box, said fasteners being spring pressed in the closed position, each unit formed of an elongate rod, a top portion housed slidably horizontally in a sleeve at the front lower portion of the lunch box cover, an intermediate integral portion of said rod bent vertically downwardly, and a return bent portion integral with said latter portion adapted to latch within an axially horizontal keeper on the top frontal portion of the lunch box body, and coil spring means connecting the upper elongate rod portions to maintain the closure in latched position.

CLOSURE son LUNCH BOX BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Lunch boxes are usually provided with hinged clasps which can be dislodged accidentally during crowd conditions with the result that the box can open and the contents may be strewn about. The present device comprises a spring retained closure means which does not project from the lunch box and which cannot be opened by accidental means. It comprises a pair of J-shaped rods held in latched position by a coil spring joining the two rods which are slidably held in a pair of sleeves disposed frontally of the lunch box cover with lower portions of said rods engaged in keepers on the top front of the box body.

FIG. l is a front view in elevation of a lunch box equipped with a closure embodying the invention.

PEG. 2 is a fragmentary view in perspective.

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on line 33 of F l0. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral refers to the lunch box, having a cover 11 and the receptacle portion 12. Frontally of the cover 11 are a pair of sleeve elements l3 and M, accommodating the long arms 15 and 16 of rod members 17, which latter are connected by the coil spring 18. The latch portions 19 and 20 are shown in FIG. 1 to be engaged in keepers 21 and 22, secured by rivet means 23 adjacent the frontal top edge of the receptacle portion 12. The sleeve elements 13 and 14 are secured to the cover 11 by rivet means 24.

In use the lunch box may be opened by manually pulling rod members 17 away from each other to free the latch portions 19 from the keepers 21 and 22. After the contents have been placed in the receptacle [2, the operation is reversed and the cover 11 secured. It will be understood that due to the tension of spring 18, accidental opening of the lunch box will be unlikely.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

l. A closure for a lunch box comprising a pair of hooked rod elements, each comprising a long arm slidably held in a horizontal sleeve disposed on the lunch box cover, a vertical downwardly directed portion of said rod, and a return portion at the lower end thereof as a latch adapted to engage in a keeper adjacent the frontal upper edge of the lunch box receptacle portion, and a coil spring connecting said long arms to maintain engagement of said latch portions within said keepers. 

1. A closure for a lunch box comprising a pair of hooked rod elements, each comprising a long arm slidably held in a horizontal sleeve disposed on the lunch box cover, a vertical downwardly directed portion of said rod, and a return portion at the lower end thereof as a latch adapted to engage in a keeper adjacent the frontal upper edge of the lunch box receptacle portion, and a coil spring connecting said long arms to maintain engagement of said latch portions within said keepers. 